A Winning Habit
Fansided

Comparing Anton Lundell and Jesperi Kotkaniemi

By Sebastian High

VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 5: Anton Lundell #29 of Finland with the championship trophy after defeating the United States in the Gold Medal game of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship on January, 5, 2019 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 5: Anton Lundell #29 of Finland with the championship trophy after defeating the United States in the Gold Medal game of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship on January, 5, 2019 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next
Montreal Canadiens,
Montreal Canadiens, /

Anton Lundell’s frame, production and potential are all reminiscent of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and the Montreal Canadiens should look to him at the 2020 NHL Draft.

One of the biggest stories heading into the 2018 NHL Entry Draft was what route the Montreal Canadiens would take with their third overall selection. Many rumours stated that Marc Bergevin would reach for Jesperi Kotkaniemi or possibly even trade down in the hope of still selecting the Finn, who was ranked anywhere between fifth and fifteenth, heading into the draft. Others pegged the Habs to select Brady Tkachuk, while the majority saw them picking talented winger Filip Zadina out of Halifax despite their need at centre ice.

As things eventually transpired, the Canadiens ended up with the 6’2″, 190-pound Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who suffered a sophomore slump after a surprisingly good rookie season as the youngest player in the league. The Finnish centreman is still just 19 years of age and has a bright future ahead of him.

The biggest story heading into the 2020 NHL Entry Draft is not that of Quebecois phenom Alexis Lafreniere, nor that of hulking 17-year-old centreman Quintin Byfield, it is one of utter uncertainty. With the month of May already half passed, it is unclear to virtually everyone how the order of selections will be decided as well as whether or not playoffs will occur, and if they do, how many teams will be included. Perhaps the Habs qualify for the playoffs if the 24 team format is decided upon, which may result in the Canadiens selecting in the teens rather than eighth overall. The lack of clarity is absolute.

This being said, there do exist many interesting storylines surrounding this year’s draft that are well worth following. One that caught my eye a few months ago, before the grinding halt of the sporting world, is that of Anton Lundell. The 6’1″, 187-pound Finnish centreman bears resemblances to his countryman who was selected by the Montreal Canadiens just two years ago.

While Kotkaniemi was selected far earlier than most projected him to be, Lundell will, in all likelihood, not face the same outcome since centremen Quinton Byfield, Marco Rossi and Cole Perfetti are all ranked a few slots above him according to most outlets, and all have higher offensive ceilings. Despite this, Lundell is virtually a lock to be taken once the 15th pick rolls around and could very well be a top-10 selection.

Home/Analysis